The present invention relates to a communication system, a communication apparatus, a communication method, and a storage medium whereby content data are downloaded over a network and recorded to a package medium.
Today, one way of marketing content data is to have them recorded on read-only optical discs such as compact discs. These optical discs are each housed in a package and offered to users as package media by vendors. Distribution of content data using the package media serves two major purposes: the vendors can sell the content data, and the users who bought them in the form of physical packages can satisfy their possessive instinct, i.e., their desire to own tangible entities.
Another way of distributing content data involves allowing the data to be transferred over a network. In this case, users can record the distributed content data to a recordable optical disc or magneto-optical disc. The method is very convenient from the vendors' point of view because there is no need to handle package media physically; the data need only be transmitted directly to users over the network. Another advantage of this method is that the most recent data can be easily offered to users by transmission over the network.
Some disadvantages of the network-based data distribution do exist. For example, users must take steps to search for and gain access to a website from which to download the content data of interest. Even where the address of the website in question is known to users beforehand, the users still need to enter the address information through a keyboard or like devices, which can be a chore. Once the website is accessed, it can be a wearisome and time-consuming task to search through numerous uploaded content data items for a desired one. Another disadvantage of the network-based data distribution is that the scheme fails to satisfy users' possessive instinct because content data are transmitted to the users' terminals over the network as an intangible entity and not in any physical form.
A further disadvantage is the fear of possible abuses of personal information being transferred. When downloading content data, the user need to settle payments by entering such sensitive information as credit card numbers and passwords in addition to their names and addresses for transmission to a server that offers the data distribution service. Any information exchanged over the network could be tapped by an unscrupulous third party having illegally accessed the network. Under the circumstances, the users have reason to be uneasy about making payments over the network.